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F rom M alachi t o C hrist: Between the Testaments Last week Daniel’s prophecies Today Babylon & Medio-Persia April 28 Greece May 5 Rome

6052:362:392:392:405497:47:57:67:7-8, :3,4,208:5, :1-211:3-411:511:611: :32b-3511:36-45 Babylon BC Media-Persia BC Greece BC Alexander the Great Alexander the Great Egypt 323 BC Syria 204 BC Antiochus Epiphanes 175 BC Antiochus Epiphanes 175 BC Maccabees 168 BC Rome 63 BC

Bible Study April 21, Daniel’s Powerful Prophecies Some of the best evidence we have that there is a God and that the Bible is a special revelation from God is found in biblical prophecy. If it can be established that men foretold certain events and the coming of specific people---sometimes many centuries before those events and individuals came into existence---the individual doing the foretelling had to have gotten that information from a Being who had the omniscience to foresee and then be omnipotent enough to bring those things about. Such is the case with the prophet Daniel. As the chart indicates, over a period of some 69 years Daniel had a series of four visions regarding six world kingdoms plus the kingdom of God. These visions, when objectively studied, provide some of the finest evidence we have for the verbal inspiration of the Bible. Daniel’s foreknowledge and specific details concerning the six kingdoms and their rulers are such that no one could have projected such things without Divine assistance. But was Daniel a true prophet and did the things he foretold really come about? And, did Daniel prophecy long enough before these prophecies to make their fulfillment something truly spectacular? There is evidence within the Bible text itself which, in this writer’s opinion, is the very best confirmation we have that Daniel was a true prophet of God, for, if Daniel was not a prophet, neither was Jesus the son of God. Mathew 24:15 (see also Mk. 13:14) records Jesus referring to Daniel as a prophet and cites a specific reference: So when you see standing in the holy place 'the abomination that causes desolation,' spoken of through the prophet Daniel… Not only did Jesus call Daniel a prophet, He cited Daniel’s reference to the “abomination of desolation” (Dan. 9:27; 11:31; 12:11) which was the Roman army. Jesus was obviously familiar with Deut. 18:20-22 where Moses wrote But a prophet who presumes to speak in my name anything I have not commanded him to say, or a prophet who speaks in the name of other gods, must be put to death." You may say to yourselves, "How can we know when a message has not been spoken by the LORD?" If what a prophet proclaims in the name of the LORD does not take place or come true, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. That prophet has spoken presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him. Jesus would never have called Daniel a prophet and cited one of his prophecies if in fact the things Daniel wrote had not come to pass. Either Jesus knew Daniel was a false prophet but cited him anyhow (making him dishonest and certainly not the Son of God) or thought he was a true prophet but was mistaken (meaning Jesus could have been wrong about other matters and definitely not the Son of God) or---Jesus knew for certain that the things Dan iel had foretold had come to pass. If Jesus is to be believed regarding other matters why not in regard to this matter? Daniel was a true prophet of God, giving us some of the finest evidence that the Bible is of Divine origin. And what about the date of Daniel’s prophecies: we know the dates when they were received but when were they written down? The “conservative” theological position is that these prophecies were recorded sometime in the sixth century BC. But there is a “liberal” school of thought that places Daniel’s writing somewhere in the Maccabean period, BC and the reason for this is obvious: to acknowledge a sixth century BC date is to admit that a Divine voice had to be speaking to Daniel regarding the rise and fall of the various kingdoms. Edward Young’s comments regarding this matter need to be given serious thought: "If the book of Daniel is the product of the Maccabean age, then it is not a book of predictive prophecy, but a forgery…The book of Daniel purports to be serious history. It claims to be a revelation from the God of heaven which concerns the future welfare of men and nations. If this book were issued at the time of the Maccabees for the purpose of strengthening the faith of the people of that time, and the impression was thereby created that Daniel, a Jew of the 6th cent. was the author, then, whether we like it or no---the book is a fraud. There is no escaping this conclusion." The Prophecy of Daniel, p. 25 What indications are there of a sixth century BC date? Back to Matt. 24:15. Jesus said that these prophecies were spoken by Daniel, which doesn’t seem to mean someone other than Daniel wrote these down. At some point during Daniel’s lifetime he recorded the visions he received.

BC

This was the dream; now we will tell its interpretation before the king. You, O king, are the king of kings, to whom the God of heaven has given the kingdom, the power, the strength and the glory; and wherever the sons of men dwell, or the beasts of the field, or the birds of the sky, He has given them into your hand and has caused you to rule over them all. You are the head of gold. After you there will arise another kingdom … Dan. 2:36-39a

BC And four great beasts were coming up from the sea, different from one another. The first was like a lion and had the wings of an eagle. I kept looking until its wings were plucked, and it was lifted up from the ground and made to stand on two feet like a man; a human mind also was given to it. Dan. 7:3-4

BC Prophets of this period Zephaniah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel

BC Historical background Jews were taken into captivity in three stages (2 Kings 21:10-16; Jer. 29:10; 32:4) Nebuchadnezzar conquers Judah. Learns of his father's death and returns to Babylon taking the first group of captives with him, including king Jehoiakim and Daniel and his friends.

BC Historical background takes a larger group back to Babylon including king Jehoiachin (aka, Jechoniah, Coniah) and Ezekiel. Zedekiah is set up as prince of Judah. 586-Nebuchadnezzar comes to Jerusalem a third time, destroys the temple and the city, puts out Zedekiah's eyes

BC The Dispersion The dispersion among the Greeks, Jo. 7:35 The twelve tribes are dispersed abroad Jas. 1:1 To the pilgrims of the dispersion 1 Pet. 1:1

BC The Dispersion Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs Acts 2:9-10 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs Acts 2:9-10

BC The Dispersion The extent of it Estimates vary from four-and-one-half million to ten million. Perhaps more Jews dispersed than in Palestine The reasons for it Began when the Assyrians took Israel captivity in 722 B.C., as God had foretold in Jer. 9:16, and continued with the Babylonian captivity.

BC The Dispersion The importance of it Note how often Paul went to a synagogue of the Jews as he traveled. A ready-made audience was available because of the Jews that had scattered. Also, there was a demand for the scriptures in the language of the day (Koine Greek) which gave rise to the Septuagint Version.

BC The Synagogue Meaning--- properly "a bringing together" (sun, "together," ago, "to bring"), Vine

BC The Synagogue Origin During the Babylonian exile. Reason Need for assembling especially on Sabbath and feast days with other Jews in order to listen to the word of God and engage in some kind of worship.

BC Significance of dispersion and synagogue Note how often Paul went to a synagogue of the Jews as he traveled. A ready-made audience was available because of the Jews that had scattered. The dispersion of the Jews and the multiplication of synagogues all over Palestine and the world were likely the providential working of God in preparing His apostles centuries later to fulfill the great commission (Matt. 28:16-20)

Medio- Persian Empire BC

After you there will arise another kingdom inferior to you, then another third kingdom of bronze, which will rule over all the earth. Then there will be a fourth kingdom… Dan. 2:39-40a Medio- Persian Empire BC

And behold, another beast, a second one, resembling a bear. And it was raised up on one side, and three ribs were in its mouth between its teeth; and thus they said to it, “Arise, devour much meat!” After this I kept looking, and behold, another one,… Dan. 7:5-6 Medio- Persian Empire BC

Then I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a ram which had two horns was standing in front of the canal. Now the two horns were long, but one was longer than the other, with the longer one coming up last. Dan. 8:3 Medio- Persian Empire BC

I saw the ram butting westward, northward, and southward, and no other beasts could stand before him nor was there anyone to rescue from his power, but he did as he pleased and magnified himself...The ram which you saw with the two horns represents the kings of Media and Persia. Dan. 8:4,20 Medio- Persian Empire BC

And now I will tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings are going to arise in Persia. Then a fourth will gain far more riches than all of them; as soon as he becomes strong through his riches, he will arouse the whole empire against the realm of Greece. Dan. 11:2 Medio- Persian Empire BC

Haggai, 520 Zechariah, Malachi, 440 Ezra, Esther, Nehemiah Medio- Persian Empire BC

The Samaritans Therefore the Samaritan woman said to Him, "How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?" (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.) John 4:9 Medio- Persian Empire BC

The Samaritans OT origin Mixed race: Jew, Assyria, et al Enmity began, Ezra 4:1-10 Built own temple on Mt Gerizim Believed only in 1 st five OT books Medio- Persian Empire BC

Persian king Cyrus the great Cambyses OT Scripture 2 Chron 36:22-23 Ezra 1:1-2,7-8; 3:7; 4:3,5; 5:13-14,17; 6:3,14; Isa. 44:28-45:1; Dan. 1:21; 6:28; 10:1 Ezra 4:7,11,23 Impact on Jews 1 st return from captivity 538 BC Ezra 1-6 Work on temple stopped

Persian king Darius I Xerxes I Artaxerxes I OT Scripture Ezra 4:5,24; 5:5-7; 6:1,12-15 Hag. 1:1,15; 2:10 Zech. 1:1,7; 7:1 Esther 1:1-2; Ezra 4:6 Ezra 7:1,7,11-12,21; 8:1 Neh. 2:1; 5:14; 13:6 Impact on Jews Work on temple resumed Married to Esther 2 nd return from captivity 457 BC Ezra rd return from captivity 444 BC Nehemiah 1-13

6052:362:392:392:405497:47:57:67:7-8, :3,4,208:5, :1-211:3-411:511:611: :32b-3511:36-45 Babylon BC Media-Persia BC Greece BC Alexander the Great Alexander the Great Egypt 323 BC Syria 204 BC Antiochus Epiphanes 175 BC Antiochus Epiphanes 175 BC Maccabees 168 BC Rome 63 BC

For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me." In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. 1 Cor. 11:23-26